The Paths You Have Are Many
by Whimsical Lady
Summary: What would you give to be able to look into your future? Tea has been given that chance (and she didn't even ask for it), now she has five different futures with five different swains. 1. JoeyTea 2.SetoTea 3.MalikTea
1. It's a very nice rock

Greetings. This is a new story I have rushed to get out in honour of a birthday coming up. I couldn't think of a one-shot so I hope this will suffice. This is a kind of introduction; the next chapter will be out by the 25th for Buffybot76. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

* * *

"Come on…Ring…Damn bell…Ring …Ring." Muttered Téa. Her attention was focused solely on the clock above the blackboard.

"Hey Téa, what ya doin'?"

Téa looked to her left at the confused blonde boy who was gazing back at her with some concern. She grinned.

"Trying to make time move quicker Joey." Muffled laughter came from behind her and she swivelled to lock gazes with Yugi.

The smaller boy stuffed his fist in his mouth to stifle his giggles less the teacher notice.

When he had his laughter contained he spoke, "Having any luck?"

"Not as such, no."

"I'm not surprised, there's still five minutes to go."

Téa groaned. "I think I might cry." Before any condolences could be offered the teacher called attention to the writing on the board.

"Class, copy down your homework for this weekend." There was a flurry as students hurried to scribble down textbook pages. Téa did this with one eye on her page and the other on the clock. 'Come on and …6… 5 …4… 3 …2 …1 and go.'

RING!

Chairs scraped and joyful shouts rang out while the teacher tried to make herself heard over the din.

"Oh yeah, the weekend is here." yelled Joey, "See ya Téa" He left dragging Yugi behind him. Yugi had time to wave once before he disappeared out the door. Téa packed up her belongings before leaving at a more sedate pace.

The brunette was buffeted by the tide of the student body as she made her way toward her locker. 

Turning a corner she nearly ran into a couple embracing against the wall. Swerving to avoid a collision Téa shot the pair a wistful glance. 'It must be nice. Wish I…No Téa, don't go there. ' 

Once at her locker she entered her combination and tried to open the door. It wouldn't budge, so feeling frustrated she hit it. Unfortunately this didn't seem to do much.

"Allow me." A softly accented voice spoke near her ear. Téa turned to her British friend; the white haired youth was smiling at her kindly.

"Hey Ryou." She moved aside. Ryou fiddled with her locker for a moment, hit it once and the door swung open.

"Thanks."

"No problem Téa. Have a good weekend." He moved away, waving.

"You too. Bye" Téa stuffed her books into her locker before joining her fellow students in the rush out of the schools front door. 

* * *

Head down against the wind Téa picked her way carefully between the puddles criss-crossing the pavement. Her socks were already soaked through and she squished with each step. 

She was squelching her way past a block of shops in downtown Domino when the sky opened up and it began to pour.

"What the…? Oh for the love of…" Téa looked around then quickly ducked into the nearest store.

The bell above the door jangled as Téa entered. The room was shadowy and smelled faintly of sandalwood.

"Hello", called Téa. 

Something shifted in the back of the room and a tatty overhead light switched on. With the addition of the watery light Téa could now make out that the walls were covered in tattered tapestries. The girl shifted uncomfortably on the well-worn dusky rose carpet. 

The movement at the back of the room started again and Téa noticed a woman waiting to be acknowledged. It was no surprise that Téa had not seen her before; she was draped in numerous shawls and blended in with the décor.  

"Sorry" muttered the teenager. "I was just trying to get out of the rain and…"

The woman moved forward and held a finger to her thin lips, Téa stopped mid ramble. The woman gestured to a table with a lacy tablecloth then sat down. Tentatively Téa lowered herself into the seat opposite.

Fixing her with a shrewd gaze the woman adjusted her outermost shawl before speaking; her voice was surprisingly strong for one of her apparent age. "Child you are very confused. Fate has brought you here, I will tell you your fortune, then things will become clearer."

Téa shifted uncomfortably. "Um, that's okay, you really don't need to, I'll just go now."

"Hush!" The woman looked fixedly into the young girls eyes before closing her own. After an age she opened her eyes and leant back smiling knowingly.

"You need guidance in your love life, yes?"

Téa snorted. "Love life, what love life?"

The woman smiled mysteriously, "Foolish child, you have many potential suitors. You just don't realise yet."

Lowering her head onto her arms Téa grinned ruefully. "I bet you say that to everyone. Trust me on this, no one is interested in any sort of romantic relationship with me." 

"Ah you do not believe, let me show you." The woman reached down beside her and pulled out a battered blue silk bag. There were holes in it and the cord it was tied with was frayed. The bag had definitely seen better days, yet the woman handled it with reverence. Gently she placed it on the table between herself and Téa.

"This was handed down to me by my Grandmother." With a flourish she revealed the contents of the bag. A small smoky grey crystal lay on the tattered tablecloth.

Téa blinked. "It's a rock." 

At the woman's scowl she hastened to add. "It's a very nice rock." while waving her arms in a plasitating manner.

The woman sighed. "This 'rock' has great power. It can show you the future."

"Sure it can."

The woman looked at Téa thoughtfully. "Child you have so many options. The path to the future is branched, you have many directions you could take." Reaching across the table she took Téa's hand.

"It will allow you to see the many futures you could have." She smiled. "It may also help you with your romantic problems. For you there will be five futures with five different swains."  Carefully the woman placed Téa's hands over the crystal and removed her own.

Téa felt somewhat foolish sitting there with her hands on a rock while a certain, obviously crazy, woman held her breath waiting for God-knows-what to happen. Téa forgot any awkwardness when she felt her whole body lurch before the room swam alarmingly.   


	2. Joey

**_Happy Birthday BuffyBot76!_**_ I hope you have a wonderful day. Best wishes. About your review - I don't mind writing this for you. I just hope you like it. _

_Thank you to everyone else who reviewed._

_Well this is the first chapter. It is pretty much a one-shot. Next chapter will be Téa with someone else. I am having difficulty with what I should do so any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you and enjoy._

* * *

Slowly Téa awoke. Sunlight was shining through a slit in the curtains onto Téa's face where it lay on a pillow. _'Wait a minute, pillow? Curtains? The last thing that I remember was that crazy woman and her rock.'_ Téa began to feel panic building rapidly in her chest.

"Hey Gorgeous." She shifted and came face to face with Joey, who was grinning happily. He held a breakfast tray that he offered to her. 

This seemed very strange to Téa. Yet she felt herself reach out and accept the tray. She could think freely yet she seemed to be operating on autopilot. 

_'Holy Hell, it must be that woman, it really happened. I'm in the future. _She examined Joey, now that she thought about it he did appear to be a bit older._  Either that or I'm going insane. No, it must be that woman. After all if Ancient Egyptian spirits can live inside enchanted jewellery this should be a piece of cake. That would explain why I seem to have no control over my body. I must just be supposed to watch.' _

Satisfied with this answer Téa settled for simply going with the flow. It was a bizarre sensation, like watching a movie through her own eyes.

Joey perched himself on the edge of the bed as Téa began to eat. 

"I'm going to go shower while you eat that. Remember we have to be at the airport by 9 o'clock." He finally said.

"I know. Are you going to tell me where we are going?"

"It's a surprise. You'll find out when we get there." He stood up and walked over to another door. When he opened it Téa caught a glimpse of a bathroom before he shut the door after him. _'Wow! Joey. I never would have guessed. I wonder where we're going.'_ Despite herself Téa felt herself getting drawn into this vision. Evidently her future self felt the same way, she began to eat faster. 

She had just finished her cup of coffee when Joey re-entered the room. His wet hair was even messier then normal and he was dressed in jeans and a pale blue t-shirt. He stopped by the closet to slip his denim jacket on. Grinning he reached over her and removed the tray. Then he turned lightening fast and yanked the duvet from her body. Téa shrieked, attempting to cover herself back up.

"Joey!"

'Ya got ta get up now." He replied simply, grabbing the tray and exiting the room. Grumbling Téa marched through the only other door available to wash and get ready for her trip.

* * *

"Come on Téa. Hurry up, we'll miss the plane if you keep moving so slowly." Joey was pulling furiously on Téa's arm, dragging them through the airport terminal at breakneck speed. Her legs working as fast as they could Téa just managed to keep from being dragged over. 

She could hear the contents of her handbag rattling around. Wincing she sent up a silent prayer nothing was broken then nearly crashed headlong into Joey who had stopped at their gate, E6. 

The attendant waiting at the door hid a smile with a carefully manicured hand before taking their boarding passes from Joey. He hadn't allowed Téa to have hers as it had their destination printed on it. He was still insisting that their vacation spot be kept a secret. 

They walked quickly through the covered ramp leading to the plane. At the door to the plane another attendant who looked strikingly similar to the one they had just left met them.

"This way Sir, Madam. " smiled the attendant. She directed them to their seats. As Joey and Téa made themselves comfortable two flight attendants began to give an outline of the safety procedure. 

Already being well versed in the standard safety code for air travel the couple paid little attention to the display. When the safety exhibition was complete the captain's voice came over the loud speaker.

"Hello to all our passengers. This is your captain speaking. Please make sure your seatbelts are on as we begin our non-stop flight to …" Téa stopped being able to hear after this because Joey had lunged over and covered her ears. Téa mock scowled at him but he just smiled. 

"It's a surprise." He insisted. With a sigh Téa looked away. Opening her bag she removed a book and began to read. 

* * *

 "We thank you for flying with us. If all passengers would please disembark now we would appreciate it. We hope you enjoy your stay." 

Joey and Téa joined the flow of people leaving the aircraft. As they entered the main terminal Téa spotted a sign welcoming visitors to Fiji. She turned to a madly grinning Joey with shock written all over her face. 

"Fiji? We're on a tropical island? Oh Joey, thank you, thank you." She threw herself at him. He caught her and pulled her into a hug.

"Good surprise?" he whispered into her ear.

"Yes. The best. Thanks Joey." She leant forward and kissed him, entwining her arms around his neck. When the line they were in began to move they had to break apart, but she took his hand.

Téa continued to bounce excitably through customs. Through the baggage pick up. And as they exited the building, to find the courtesy van that would take them to the hotel. On the drive there kept Téa twisting in her seat, trying to see everything. Joey smiled; he loved how she looked when she was happy.

The van pulled up outside a one-story hotel. The building was neat and the garden well tended. The driver of the van and the bellhop loaded their luggage onto a trolley that the bellhop wheeled into the reception area.

Approaching the desk Joey began to search his pockets. The woman behind the counter waited patiently until he found the piece of paper he was looking for. When he had finally handed it over she perused the sheet for a moment before smiling.

"Ah, hello Mr Wheeler. If you would just sign these." She handed him some papers, which he quickly signed. "Thank you.  Here's your room key and Philip will show you where you are staying." She indicated the bellhop. 

Joey and Téa followed him through a set of wooden double doors. He led them down a corridor and outside through another set of doors. They began to walk down a wide brick path bordered by well-kept gardens.

Philip started to speak. "All of our rooms are separate. The breakfast room is over there." He pointed toward a blue door at one end of the main building. "The beach can be reached by that path over there. And this is your room." He opened the door. Standing back out of their way so that Joey and Téa could enter first Philip then followed them in, depositing their luggage by the door. He waited to see if there was anything else required of him.

Téa started to look around ("Hey look, we have a view of the beach!") while Joey turned to Philip. "Hey thanks man." He handed him a generous tip. Philip nodded and left.

The rooms were lovely decided Téa. At the moment they were standing in a large foyer/sitting room. Two other doors lead off that room presumably into a bedroom and bathroom. Téa moved off to explore those. 

The three rooms were all done in shades of blue and had a tropical theme. Joey settled down on one of the darker blue sofas, they contrasted well with the pale blue walls and wood floors. Looking around he smiled. _'Perfect' _ 

Téa sat on the bed and bounced lightly trying to test how comfortable it was. _'Oh, it's beautiful.'_ The indigo bedspread was decorated with wave pattern stitching that Téa idly picked at before she found her eyes drawn to an image on the wall. It depicted a beach at sunset. In the foreground a couple embraced, they were in silhouette against the glorious gold of the setting sun.

Here Joey found her a few minutes later. 

"It's stunning isn't it?" she said pointing to the painting.

"Sure is." Replied Joey. "But there's something else in here I like better."

"What." Asked Téa, surveying her surroundings. Joey rolled his eyes.

"You"

"Oh" She blushed. It struck Joey then just how cute she was. She blushed even after all this time.

"Hey, you want to go for a walk?" 

"Of course, but shouldn't we unpack first?"

Joey waved a hand dismissively. "We can do that later." 

Téa swung her legs off the bed and stood up. "Alright, I'll just get my handbag." As she walked out of the room Joey hung back. Instead he moved to one of the bedside cabinets. 

Opening the top draw he was relieved to see it was full of tourist pamphlets. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a small box. The kind used to keep small items of jewellery in, which made sense, as inside was something he had spent two weeks searching jewellery stores for. An engagement ring. 

Closing his eyes a moment he breathed in deeply. 

_'Later.'_ He decided and proceeded to bury the box carefully under the pamphlets before hurrying out after Téa.

He joined Téa by the door where she was waiting. "Where do you want to go?"

"The beach I think would be nice."

The pair took the path that had been indicated to them by Philip.  They track led them into the thick jungle like growth that seemed to completely surround the buildings that made up the hotel. After about two minutes of walking they cleared the thick muddle of plants on either side of them and stepped out on to pristine sand.

The bay that the hotel was situated in was magnificent. The water sparkled in the sun, clear and a brilliant turquoise. The tangle of plants they had just exited reached right to the sand. Scattered around were other guests, couples and families, enjoying the sun. Their laughter flitted over the sand to the couple.

They turned to begin walking down the beach away from the other holidaymakers. Two small boys in swimsuits dashed by throwing a red beach ball between them. 

Téa glanced at them then returned her gaze to Joey. She closed the distance between them and leant her head against his shoulder. As she did so one of the boys ran past colliding with her. 

The blow knocked her off balance and she fell heavily. Feeling her ankle wrench sideways caused a soft exclamation to escape her lips. Joey was at her side in an instant. Followed a few seconds later by a woman who introduced herself as the boys mother.    

"Téa, are you okay?" Joey looked frantic.

"I'm fine." She hastened to assure him. Trying to stand back up she managed to raise herself up a few centimetres before falling back with a hiss of pain.

"I'll get the doctor." Said the woman, turning and hurrying up the path.

Gently Joey helped Téa sit up; he kept one arm around her shoulders. "Where does it hurt?"

"My ankle" she pointed to her foot, which was even now swelling.

"Okay. What do we have here?" The doctor had arrived running, the woman was standing behind him looking worried. He lowered himself down beside Téa and began to carefully test the area around her ankle. After a few minutes he sat back.

" It's just sprained. It will hurt for a bit but I can give you some codeine. That should help with the pain, I recommend you keep off that leg for a day or two."

"Good thing we're here for a week then." Said Téa, her teeth gritted. "Hey Joey, let's head back to our room." She grinned suddenly. "I can sit down and read, while you unpack."    

The doctor smiled at the indignant look on Joey's face.

"A good idea Miss. You couldn't have chosen a better time, there is a storm expected in an hour or two."

Téa looked shocked. "You mean you get storms here?"

"Have you never heard of a tropical rainstorm?"

* * *

Prying open the fridge door with one hand, the other clutching two glasses, Joey perused the selection of beverages on offer. Eventually he settled on two lemonades. He would have preferred something stronger, in the hope it would give him the necessary courage to go through with his plans, but alcohol might interfere with the pain medication that Téa was on.

Across the room Téa, seated by the window, twitched aside the curtain to get a look outside. Instead of being able to see the beach as she would of just an hour ago all that was visible was a maelstrom. Iron-grey clouds boiled across the sky while furious waves hurled themselves onto the cold sands of the bay.

Sighing she turned from the bleak view. "So much for the bikini idea."

"You could wear it now anyway, I promise not to complain" said Joey, making his way over to her with two full glasses. "Hey! Hey!" He dodged the cushion hurled at him.

Accepting her glass with a giggle Téa took a sip just as the speaker in the corner of the room blared into life.  

"Attention all guests. Report to the breakfast room immediately, Cyclone Lewis is approaching. Repeat: All guests please report to the breakfast room"

Joey and Téa shared a look of horror before beginning to move toward the door, Téa with a distinct limp. Suddenly Joey skidded to a halt. _'The ring.'_

"Hang on a sec." He turned and sprinted into the bedroom. Diving at the bedside cabinet he wrenched the drawer out. Snatching the small velvet box from among the mess he dropped the drawer. It hit the carpet and overturned, spilling its contents, but Joey was already at the bedroom door.

In the time it had taken Joey to collect the ring Téa had only just made it the five or so metres to the door. Seizing his jacket off the back of a chair Joey approached her. Carefully he wrapped her in the coat then scoped her into his arms. Awkwardly he reached for the door handle. Opening the door he edged out into hell.  

The wind tore at their clothes. Téa whimpered and snuggled closer against him. Joey took a few staggering steps onto the path. The main building and the breakfast room's distinctive blue door were a hundred metres away but to Joey it seemed like miles. Grimly he put one foot in front of the other. Rain lashed at them, stinging any unprotected skin. Feeling Téa's tight hold on his shirt he realised she was terrified. A surge of adrenalin rushed through him; there was no way that he would let anything happen to this girl.

With renewed strength he continued his trek. Dodging larger pieces of debris he lurched toward the door that would admit them to the safety of the main building. 

Tottering the last few steps he reached it, crashing into it with the force of the wind, knocking his shoulder heavily. He had turned to take the blow instead of Téa. Fumbling with the handle he released the catch and stumbled into the shelter.

Willing hands forced the door shut after their entry. Joey stepped to the side out of the way and gently lowered Téa to the ground while surveying his surroundings.

All the tables had been pushed to one side; cots had replaced them. Everywhere there were people. They were sitting on the cots or walking between them, talking in hushed voices. It looked like a refugee camp.

He sighed, looking down at Téa. "So much for a peaceful vacation."

She wrapped her arms around him. "Doesn't matter. The important thing is you're here. I haven't seen you properly for ages. You've been away at all those tournaments. I missed you, you know?" When she noticed he wasn't returning her hug she stepped back carefully, looking confused.

Joey was looking to the side gnawing at his lower lip. He seemed to reach a decision; he took a deep breath and transferred his gaze to Téa. 

Reaching into his pocket he knelt. Téa continued to look puzzled. _'What's he doing? He …Oh God!' Joey _had opened a small red velvet box. Nestled inside was a diamond solitaire ring.

Joey took her hand and locked eyes with her. "Téa, will you do me this honour? Marry me."

She gasped clapping her hands to her mouth. "Oh, oh Joey. Yes. Yes." Smiling she drew him to his feet. Deftly he slid the ring onto her finger.

At that moment someone else entered from outside. Much like when they had entered the door flew open, only this time someone was in the way. The door connected with the back of Téa's head with a resounding crack.

The glorious smile suspended on her lips Téa slumped forward into Joey's arms, unconscious.

* * *

For the second time that day Téa found herself slowly regaining consciousness. This time though she could feel someone stroking her hair.

"…Geez Téa, what a day for you, huh? I can't believe this. You said yes, you actually said yes." He seemed overwhelmed "I'm going to make you so happy. Oh, man. This was meant to be perfect; I've been planning the proposal for weeks. All those tournaments were just so I could get the money for this. But everything just went wrong."

Téa shifted so she could see his face. "Don't worry, it'll be something to tell the grandchildren."

Joey smiled, giving her such a tender look that she felt her heart lurch. A moment later so did the rest of her body in a sickeningly familiar way, and then the world went dark. 


	3. Seto

Hello, Dear Readers. This chapter is dedicated to **Skurria** for being my 151st reviewer on another story I am working on 'Safe in my enemy's arms'. To Sailor Panda, if you contact me soon I will still write a chapter for you.

Be warned, massive fluff ahead. This is just a small moment in time in Tèa's future, only about 5 minutes.

...vV...Vv...

Again Tèa felt her body pitch forward then stop suddenly. She was disorientated for a few seconds before she felt her body start to move. 'I recognize this...I'm in another future me.' She thought back to the future she had just left. 'Who would have thought that Joey could be so sweet. But, Joey... I sure didn't see that one coming. I wonder who I'm in love with here. I don't think anyone could be as unexpected as Joey.'

Tèa settled herself to watch as her future self paced restlessly up and down a hallway. 'Wait a minute...I know this room. This is my hall, I don't recognize that painting but this is definitely my house. Wow, this must be only a few years in the future - at the most.'

Future-Tèa had stopped in front of the hall mirror and was checking her appearance. Tèa was wearing a blue evening dress that fell to the floor, her hair was swept up into an elegant mass of curls but something else caught the attention of the Tèa watching. 'I get curves! Yessssss!'

Carefully touching up her hair Tèa jumped violently when the door bell rang, before her fright was replaced with a radiant smile. Hurrying to the door, the girl wrenched it open. The boy standing on the threshold looked up from his perusal of the flowerbeds and smirked.

The Tèa from the past gasped. 'Seto Kaiba?... but he hates us - with a passion. This is one weird future.'

Kaiba was dressed to the same degree of formality as Tèa. He looked her over then snorted,

"I don't see why we have to go to this."

Tèa rolled her eyes and stepped aside so he could come in. "Hello to you too, and we are going because you promised that as soon as we finished school we would allow our relationship to go public. Then we both agreed that the Graduation Dinner would be a good place to start. Come on Seto, I'm sick of only being able to talk to you in private."

He sighed, for all the world as if he was making a huge sacrifice, "Very well" then he added in what Tèa took to be a gesture of goodwill, "At least I get to see you dressed up, you clean up well."

Tèa blushed "Thank you. Speaking of what I'm wearing. I didn't wear any jewelry, just like you asked. Is there any particular reason why?" said Tèa, smiling up at her boyfriend.

In response the other reached into his suit's inner breast pocket. He carefully pulled out a velvet box, the kind used to hold the larger pieces of jewelry.

"This was my mothers. I wanted you to have it," He opened the box and turned it so the girl could see. Resting on a red velvet pillow sat an elegant necklace. A sapphire pendant with ten tiny surrounding diamonds hung from a delicate gold chain.

"Oh Seto, it's gorgeous. You really want to give it to me?"

He nodded as he motioned for her to turn so he could put it around her neck. Tèa did so, moving so she could see into the mirror. "My mother always told me that she was going to give this to the woman I was going to spend the rest of my life with. I can't see any reason to wait."

Tèa looked into the mirror, Seto stood just behind her adjusting the necklace. "It suits you"

Twisting, so that she could look at him over her shoulder Tèa smiled, "Thank you."

He returned her smile gently, an expression he was careful to only let her and Mokuba see. He pulled back slightly, whispering into her ear.

"If you don't want to be late we should go."

The girl nodded, picking up her jacket. "Mum! Dad! We're leaving now."

Two middle aged people who, Past-Tèa noted, hadn't aged that badly emerged from the sitting room.

Mrs. Gardener gave a happy cry, clasping her hands to her chest.

"You two look wonderful. Photo" she decreed, producing a camera. Seto and Mr. Gardener shared a male moment, both rolling their eyes, as Tèa dragged Seto over to stand by the window. She wrapped one arm around his waist and they posed until Mrs. Gardener had finished her roll of film.

Finally free to leave, the parents walked with them to the door. Tèa's parents had supported this relationship since Tèa had brought an unusually nervous Seto Kaiba home to meet them. They knew how much strain would be caused by going public. All four of them stood for a moment in comfortable silence until it was broken by a fatherly gesture from Mr. Gardener.

He reached over and shook Seto's hand seriously. "I'm glad Tèa found such an upstanding young man. You both have my blessing."

Tèa smiled, opening the door and stepping out with Seto. She wished both her parents good bye then walked down the porch steps.

They walked down her front path together but halfway to his waiting car, and after making sure her parents had shut the door, Seto stopped. Turning Tèa so she was facing him he lent down and kissed her on her forehead. When he pulled back she noticed a slight tightness to the corner of his eyes. There was something he wasn't telling.

"Okay, spill. What's the matter?"

He looked at her in disbelief before giving a resigned sigh. "You know, I used to pride myself on not letting anyone see my emotions. I still can't figure out how you do it."

She frowned, a warning for him to stop trying to distract her.

He took a deep breath, "The news was leaked."

"What?" she said startled.

"Someone told the media that tonight I would be going to this dinner with my 'romantic interest'. There will be reporters swarming that place. They won't be allowed in but they'll wait outside." He looked away into the middle distance and Tèa recognized he was about to express concern, something he still had trouble with. "I'd hoped that we could ease into this. It was always a give-in the press would be interested in our relationship, but I was hoping for a bit more time."

Tèa smiled, her heart constricting slightly, he cared. It wasn't him who would need the extra time, he was used to media attention, he wanted this situation to be easier for her.

"I can handle it, the sooner I get used to it the better. Besides," here she flashed him an impudent smile while moving toward the car. "I'm sure you'll protect me from the big bad reporters. I still remember the day you made that journalist cry when he came looking for you at school."

He laughed out loud at that, hurrying forward to hold the car door open for her as she climbed in, before he followed suit.

As the driver pulled out from the curb Tèa shuffled over so she could lean her head on Seto's shoulder. Absentmindedly he caressed their joined hands with his thumb but neither one spoke. They just enjoyed the quiet moment together, knowing that this night would be a long one. Too soon their moment ended; they had arrived.

Carefully the driver maneuvered the limousine to a stop outside the hotel being used for the school's Graduation Dinner. As soon as it pulled up a group of about twenty reporters converged, shouting questions loudly enough to alert the cars occupants to their presence.

Seto watched his girlfriend carefully for how she was handling this, the press attention was a big part of his life. If she wanted to stay with him then it would have to be a big part of hers. He hoped she wanted to stay.

He turned and looked out the tinted window with a frown, "Do you really think you're ready for this?"

Tèa nodded giving his hand a reassuring squeeze. "When I fell in love with you I was willing to take it all - the good, the bad and the paparazzi."

He inclined his head in relief and she watched the emotionless mask he always wore in public slip over his features.

He opened the door and stepped out, taking the hand he offered her she followed. As soon as she emerged numerous camera flashes exploded around her. Temporarily blind and dazed she felt the part of her mind that didn't belong in this future slip away. Around her the world faded to black.


	4. Malik

I am _so_ sorry, time has just slipped away from me. For **Sailor Panda** (who this is dedicated to) I hope you are still reading Yu-Gi-Oh fanfiction. If not, well on the off chance that you ever remember that I promised you a chapter and decide to check if I've even bothered writhing it, here it is. I'm sure you would have done a better job with this idea but I tried my best.

To everyone else, sorry and thank-you for reviewing. And if this isn't the swain you wanted sorry again. **I am seriously considering redoing this and upping the number of potential suitors.** Nothing else would change except the number of swains the old lady gives her visions of, the text would all stay the same. What do you think? My reviewers have nominated some individuals that I didn't even consider originally.

To the nice reviewer (Stephanie Jelly) who suggested a site for me to check out Escaflowne stuff, the address didn't show up in the review. If you review again (and I hope you do) could you please put it in again but try spacing it out. Thanks.

...vV...Vv...

This time as Tèa felt her mind settle into place she couldn't see anything straight away. It took her a moment to realize that this was because her future self had her eyes closed. While her vision remained black Tèa took the opportunity to evaluate what she'd just seen.

'Kaiba? Seto Kaiba? That was so odd. I always thought that anyone who ended up with Kaiba would only be there for the money, he wouldn't offer much in the way of emotional support. But his expression, he really cared. I knew there had to be more to him than that mask of his, the way he behaves with Mokuba is a dead give away, I just never expected to be the one.'

Tèa gave a mental head shake, as she did Future-Tèa opened her eyes. She was leaning against the railing of a pathway that overlooked a bay. Unlike the scenes from Fiji with Joey, this was obviously a well populated area. Apartment blocks were built right down to the beginning of the sand in some areas and the wide concrete path she was standing on continued on around the curve of the bay as far as she could see.

Tèa had been leaning forward and enjoying the sea breeze as it caressed her face. The day was almost suffocatingly hot and the cooling breeze was a welcome relief. She stayed like that for a few more minutes before turning so that she leant back against the railing, supporting her weight on her elbows. Now Tèa could see a number of shop fronts. Most of them were restaurants and clubs, this looked to be the center of the area's nightlife. Since it was only early afternoon, at the latest, none of them appeared to be doing much business, if they were open at all. Still the surroundings weren't empty of people, most of them were out walking and enjoying the view. About twenty metres away were a trio of vendors taking advantage of this passing custom, selling ice-creams, hot-dogs and drinks out of carts.

As the body she was occupying continued to peruse the faces of passerby's Tèa realized that she was decidedly swain-less. 'That's peculiar, I saw my last two future partners a lot sooner than this. I wonder where he is.'

She had no sooner thought this than she felt someone settle against the rail beside her. Tèa turned fully to face the new arrival. Past-Tèa was a little shocked, 'But I don't even know him.' She knew it was unfair to judge on the way a person looked but she really didn't like this man. It wasn't that he wasn't attractive, because he was. Maybe not movie star gorgeous but still pretty good. It was something about the way he held himself, sort of arrogantly, it vaguely reminded her of Seto Kaiba when he was in full blown I-am-king-of-the-world mode. That and the way he was looking at her, staring more like. Nothing she could really pinpoint, but she was still getting seriously bad vibes from this guy. 'And he's about thirty five! Then again I'm not sure how old I am.'

So she wasn't terribly upset when Future-Tèa said, in a cool, aloof voice, "I'm sorry, do I know you?"

"No, but you could." he replied. Grinning slightly, he reached out a hand that he ran down her arm. He left his hand resting on her upper arm.

'Ha! So I was right.', thought Tèa. 'Well let's see how I handle this. Hopefully I haven't gotten soft in my old age.'

"Much as I'd love to take you up on that," said Tèa, forcing an obviously fake smile on to her face. Evidently both future and past Tèa's felt the same way about this man. "I'm waiting for someone."

"Oh come on. Just have a drink with me." He gestured to one of the only bars that was currently open then gripped her arm more purposefully, trying to lead her away.

"No thank you.", she stated firmly, "I told you I'm waiting for someone." Tèa started to inch her hand towards her handbag.

The man sighed, "I've been watching you, you've been here for a half hour already. Just how long was this person intending to keep you waiting?"

"Not much longer." growled a voice from behind him. The person was obscured from Tèa's view by the man gripping her arm. When he shifted slightly she was able to see who had spoken.

Past-Tèa's mind stuttered to a halt. 'What?...I mean...I...Malik?' It was Malik, he was obviously older, Tèa judged him, and by extension her, to be in their mid twenties. The lines of his face were sharper and he'd grown. Not just up but he'd bulked up too. His body barely resembled that of the skinny teenager Tèa had known. Some things hadn't changed though, his platinum blonde hair waving in the wind was still the same length and style and he apparently hadn't lost his preference for gold jewelry, several gold decorations adorned his wrists and neck.

It was definitely Malik, Tèa decided, as she settled back to watch, still a little dazed. And right now he was furious.

Fists clenched at his sides Malik spoke slowly, as if willing the words to come out calmly. "I would suggest you let her go." He stopped and considered, "No, actually, I've had a rough day and I need to vent. Go ahead."

"Malik!" said Tèa sharply. But at his arrival she'd relaxed and moved her hand away from her bag.

Completely misinterpreting the reason for her anger Malik waved away her concerns. "He won't hurt you, I just need him to try." The Egyptian grinned wolfishly.

The man abruptly let go of Tèa's arm. "Look, I didn't mean anything by it. I'll just leave now. I can see you to want to talk." He retreated back to where Tèa could only assume he had come from - the bar he'd indicated earlier.

Tèa breathed a sigh of relief that he was gone then turned to look at Malik. He was still glaring after Tèa's unwanted suitor, murder written in his eyes. This time Tèa's sigh was one of frustration.

"Oh come on Malik, nothing happened. You always get like this."

Malik didn't say anything but his expression got contemplative, behind the anger, and he took a step toward the bar.

Glancing around hurriedly, searching for a distraction, Tèa lighted on the vendors. She linked her arm with Malik's and started to walk towards the mobile food stalls. Malik fought her for the first few steps, trying to get free and chase the sleazeball that had been harassing his girlfriend. When he realized that Tèa wasn't going to let him go he calmed down somewhat and followed her lead, but he kept glancing back over his shoulder.

Seeing that he was still anything but calm Tèa began talking hoping to distract him.

"I think we should get something cold, it's boiling out here. But then of course you're used to it. You probably feel right at home."

Even annoyed as he was Malik had to smile at the mock-bitter tone in Tèa's voice.

"That doesn't mean I wouldn't like something to help me cool down." he said quietly.

"Agreed. But what?" mused Tèa, she reached over and took hold of Malik's chin, turning him so that he no longer looked towards the bar but instead maintained eye contact with her.

"On the one hand" she said, once she was certain that he was paying attention to her. "We have an ice cream. The traditional choice for hot weather. On the other hand there's always a popsicle, also a valid contender."

"Now I've always found the popsicle to be more refreshing. I think it's because the ice cream leaves that slightly clinging creamy taste in the mouth. That said, ice cream just seems more...homey than a popsicle, I think I see it as more of a comfort food." Malik was now smiling in an indulgent way, listening to her prattle. Tèa was vaguely annoyed at this, even though she was aware she was blathering, but at least he seemed to have left all homicidal thoughts behind.

They had arrived at the ice-cream stand. The young woman serving gave them a bright smile and asked what they wanted.

Malik answered immediately, "Orange Popsicle", while Tèa deliberated, rocking from foot to foot as she thought.

"I'll have...umm...the...raspberr- No I want...gah, too many choices. I'll just go back to old favorites. One vanilla cone please."

The couple paid for their purchases then moved into the shade of a nearby tree to enjoy the icy treats.

Tèa eyed Malik's popsicle, "Maybe I should have gotten a popsicle. They are less fattening."

"Well in that case you have nothing to worry about." Malik looked at her seriously.

Tèa smiled, "Always the gentleman."

"I'd be more of a gentleman if you'd let me defend your honor."

Tèa rolled her eyes, "I can look after myself you know."

"Really?"

"Yes." said Tèa haughtily. "I'll have you know I was just about to take care of the situation before you interrupted" She reached into her bag and pulled out a canister of pepper spray, which she showed to Malik.

Tèa managed to keep the haughty expression on for a few more seconds before they both began to laugh.

"Okay" said Malik when he managed to calm down, "Point conceded." He licked his popsicle, then frowned at her ice-cream.

"Why do you like vanilla so much? It's so bland and boring."

"I don't know how you can say that" Tèa shook her head, "Vanilla is one of the best flavors."

"Can I have a taste?"

"Sure" Tèa offered her cone. Gently, Malik pushed her arm out of the way and leant forward. He brushed his lips tenderly over hers before pulling back with a thoughtful expression. Then catching her eye he ran his tongue over his lips.

"Mmmmm."

Tèa blushed and looked down, avoiding his gaze. She felt a hand under her chin and she lifted her head to see a surprisingly gentle smile on Malik's face.

Then came the familiar wrench. The vision ended as everything faded to black. Tèa's last image was of Malik's smile, a gentle one - just for her.


End file.
